Oregon Senate bill could bring 'massive cuts' in education

Oregon schools would not be required to teach a full school year, have a counselor or librarian on staff, provide services to gifted students, buy new textbooks, teach anti-drug lessons or report to the public on their results for the next two school years under a bill the Senate Education Committee approved Monday.School administrators drew up the plan, saying looming budget cuts mean schools can't be expected to operate as usual. The Senate panel went along on a 3-2 vote.

"These are not normal times," said Sen. Frank Morse, R-Albany, who is sponsoring the bill. "We hate the idea of going backward in education, but we're in a pickle."

Because of Oregon's ailing economy, Gov. Ted Kulongoski has warned school districts that per-pupil funding could drop more than 10 percent from current levels in the coming two school years.

The measure was described by advocates as streamlining reporting requirements. Schools would not have to report how many minutes of physical education they teach, account for the results of $130 million in school improvement funds they're spending this school year or measure whether kindergartners enter school ready to learn.

But Senate Bill 441 goes much further than that.

It would also allow schools to pare or end programs and services that have long been required: guidance counseling, school libraries, talented and gifted education, drug and alcohol prevention and updated textbooks. The measure would allow school districts to offer as few hours and days of school as they choose.

"We are not talking about everyday Oregon here. We are talking about massive cuts in every program, and it's important we not sugarcoat what that will mean for the education of children in Oregon," said Chuck Bennett, lobbyist for the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators. "This would establish flexibility at the local level to respond to the kind of shortfalls districts are going to be facing."

Two of the committee's three Democrats, Suzanne Bonamici of Cedar Hills and Rick Metsger of Welches, objected. Chairman Mark Hass, D-Beaverton, voted yes.

"The message we're sending concerns me greatly," Bonamici said. "Guidance and counseling -- I think there is going to be a greater need for that in these hard times. ... TAG (Talented and Gifted) -- I am very concerned about that. And some of these things may end up costing us more; (dropping) drug and alcohol preventing, for instance."

Metsger also objected to dropping the requirement to identify gifted students and provide them extra challenge.

"Those kids are our future. ... To say you don't have to provide those services is a value statement I can't support."

Morgan Allen, lobbyist for the Oregon Department of Education, said department officials worry that relaxing some of the rules could create legal problems or jeopardize federal funding. But he expressed confidence that details will be fixed before the bill gets final approval.

For instance, Allen said, the federal No Child Left Behind law requires schools to let parents know when a school's performance falls short and whether a special education student's individual education plan calls for the child to get counseling.

Sen. Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg, said he would prefer to drop all requirements that schools face, rather than singling out a few. "Flexibility at this point in time ... is a very good tool that we should offer to schools to help them bridge the gap until the point in time when our economy begins to grow again."

To cope with anticipated budget cuts, school districts across the state are considering laying off teachers and aides, raising class sizes and cutting electives.

The Legislature is expected to decide in June how much money it will spend on schools and other services in the next two years.